If you're a person of color, I'd recommend avoiding this place. The moment we sat down, we weren't greeted or anything. Weren't given menus, weren't asked what we'd like to drink. We had to stop a waitress in order to be talked to. Everyone else that was sat after us received menus and got their drinks right away. Literally waited 25 minutes after being seated to get menus and that's because we flagged someone down. Food wise, it was okay. Their beer was really good, as expected and hoped for. We got the chef schnitzel. It was ehh. If the absence of seasoning is used in Germany, then this food was authentic. The chicken wasn't seasoned that well and tasted bland but the cheese compensated for it. Jaeger schnitzel was okay too. Still wasn't as seasoned as we would've liked. The spaeztl and potatoes were nottttt it. Didn't even taste like they had salt on them. But again, it may just be our Hispanic/Asian tastebuds. The pretzel was really good though. They smothered it in butter. The cheese dip was cold, not sure if that how it's supposed to be served, but if it is, wasn't too bad; just would've been better if it was warm. Definitely a cool ambiance. Blasting German music, waitresses dressed up. I recommend coming here for Oktoberfest and for their beer and pretzel. read more

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Giving 3 stars because the food we ate was good and fairly priced....service however was subpar and while I understand and appreciate the Christmas market being held they were not prepared with the right amount of food. 3 out of the 4 people in my party ordered potato salad as our sides to be informed we couldn't have it, not because they were totally out but because they were holding it for particular meals. Sorry my meal said includes a side not a specific side so first come first serve until you're out. Waitress also didn't come back to our table to check on our food or if we needed anything else.....disappointing. read more

Wonderful food and excellent service! They even had live German music playing. Highly recommend if you are in the area!

Came here for labor day weekend vacation and out of all the places I ate at, this was the most authentic. The pretzel was fresh but a but odd with cold cheese spread. We got the Jägerschnitzel with a side of spätzle. Their spätzle is homemade and absolutely delicious. The sauce on the schnitzel was delicious. We inhaled it down with a liter of beer. I don't think my grapefruit beer had much alcohol in it though but it was good and my bf liked his erdinger dunkel. I'm glad we split 1 entrée because the portions were so large! Our order even came with 2 pieces of schnitzel. The service was extremely good. The waitresses wear German outfits to make it feel festive. This place definitely deserves another visit in the future! **Tip: It gets super busy so try to go a bit earlier than you plan to eat read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Jäegersnitzel with homemade spätzle (absolutely delicious) - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

This place is a rip off. Targeted for tourists but otherwise is not good at all. For $30, i was thoroughly disappointed and annoyed i wasted that much money for a meal i could have made myself. The portion was small and the service was ok. We had a big party so i take that as apart of it, but it took forever, over an hour for us when we placed our food to it getting to us. Disappointed and upset for $30 meal that was lackluster and bland. read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Chicken Schnitzel and German potato salad. - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

This would be a knock it out of the park 5 if our food had been hot when served. We had German beer, the German Sampler for Two, and the Apple Strudel for desert. Prices are high but a good value for the portions. The food even cold was outstanding. The waitress was friendly, attentive and sympathetic to our concern. Management was not. The restaurant was rustic German fitting the food and town vibe. It was dog friendly on the porch. read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Apple Strudel - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

If I could give less than i would!!! I try to give everyone a chance but this place just pissed me off!!! Saved this place for our last meal in Helen as we were told that it was good authentic German food. That's a crock of sh*t!!! The beer was way over priced and the food was outrageously over priced. 2 beers $25-1liter and 1- 1/2liter. Platter of food $56.....I would have paid $10 for the meal had I known. The meat was as dry and tasteless as sand. No wonder they charge so much for beer as you have to have it so you don't choke on dry tasteless roast. Service was terrible (most servers were sitting around one of the picnic tables gossiping). We waited around 15 minutes before anybody came to take our order. It's a family style eatery so just big tables with chairs around them. This place is crap!! We will never eat here again. read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Platter of crap and spetzle - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

So visiting Helen during Oktoberfest, we wanted every meal to be German food. Never having it before we were a bit hesitant. We shouldn't have been when dining here! We started with the cucumber salad. No doubt you'll only order this IF you like cucumbers but even then, make sure someone else at the table likes them too bc this is a LARGE portion. I feel like they should offer a smaller size for the lone diner, but that's my opinion. Just saying, we like our bread and bc we didn't find it on the menu to order, we asked our server. Interestingly she said they had it sometimes (?) and she'd check. Well yay! They did and she was more than kind to bring us two plates before our meal. I hope management is reading this bc the bread was awesome and they should definitely offer it on a regular basis. Our main meal was schnitzel and spatzle. Can I say we were truly amazed! It was ever so very good! Wow! Who knew? Well now we do and we won't forget when returning to Helen, we'll indeed be back here for this exact meal! Side note: they have a tuba and accordion player which only add to the festive atmosphere! We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner! Wish I could remember our servers name, she was excellent. (Maybe Grace?) read more

Perhaps I don't like German food, but the experience I had here was not close to impressive. The look of the restaurant and attire worn by the staff fits the aesthetic is quite lovely. However, despite having a not busy (but also not empty) restaurant, service was quite slow. When it comes to the food, I thought the pretzel was great, but it was served with a cheese dip that reminded me of cheese whiz. Again, maybe German food isn't right for me. However the bratwurst serving was not appealing and unfortunately tasted the same way it looked. The photo attached is what was provided to me. Sauerkraut kind of leaked over the rest of the dish, didn't taste much of the greens, and the bratwurst itself didn't have much of a punch. I do believe my friends chicken schnitzel was a much better order. I do hope your experience is better than mine if you choose to dine here! read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Sauerbraten - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

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Service and most of food was good. We ordered the combination plate for 2 but the pork schnitzel was served very undercooked! It looked like a breaded rare steak. They removed it & served a fresh order of it. Recommend cutting into your meat to check it before consuming. read more

This is a must stop for a traditional German meal. The staff is so friendly and the food was amazing. We started with the potato pancake and the pretzel. So good! The pretzel was hot and so good and add the beer cheese and it was a great pairing. The potato pancakes were cooked perfectly and reminded me of my Oma's. I ordered the sauerbraten, so delicious and the dumpling was perfection. The only downfall and my personal preference was the red cabbage was not the way I like it, but taste for yourself and decide. My husband got the garlic wurst which could feed two people, he loved it!! read more

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Authentic German food . We had great food and great service!. . Right in the heart of town.

Our yearly trip to Helen to go tubing is never complete until we go to Bodensee. They have expanded and now have the Biergarten . The food is great , no more waiting in a long line . The service is great but a bit slow .. more people to serve.. read more

I've never had German food. We had the sampler for 2 and a Bavarian pretzel. To be honest, the pretzel was no different than any other pretzel. On the sampler, the various pork chops and sausages were good. Everything is smothered in the same brown gravy. The pork schnitzel (breaded, boneless, thin, sauteed) was by far the best thing on the plate. The sides were all tasty but I didn't love any of them. The best part was our waitress. I believe her name was "Kinsley"? She gets 5 STARS!!! That young woman did not stop from the moment I walked in. This restaurant's kitchen is relatively slow so we were there about 45 minutes before it arrived. We were warned and it allowed for time to take in the music and sights. Anyways, when she brought the check, I made her sit with us and chat a bit to give her a break. Her sneakers had completely worn out, falling apart soles. She said she was on her 5th or 6th double this week!!!! read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Waiting for dinner. Beautiful day. - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

So we came here on a tour and loved it so we are back for a full on dinner! Grabbed a table outside since it was so nice and it is not usually when we visit. Service was great and we had our order in for the salad, goulash soup and sampler for 2. So many great flavors it is hard to mention them all but my fav was still the schnitzel and sausages. The pickle stuffed ones were really unique. Goulash was tasty but the meat was overcooked and tough. Should it be? Next visit will just get a single place of something. read more

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I'm not a big fan of German food so keep that in mind when reading this. We started with Brie and vegetables- which wasn't what I thought and was incredibly unappealing so I didn't even try it. Went with the big pretzel (one of my favs) which tasted like plain bread serviced with a watery bland cheese sauce (not like your normal beer cheese dip). Husband ordered the "Chicken Cordon Bleu) and I'm not sure what he got (see photos). They do have a full bar and drinks were okay. Service was slow and waitress kept walking away before we all could order. What I loved; Dog friendly and patio has fans so a welcome respite from the heat. Plenty of available seating (maybe should have been a clue). Priced reasonably for a tourist area read more

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Very good food. My kids had never had German food before and they liked it. The German potato salad was really good, especially if you like Dill. Everything tasted fresh and well made. read more

This place is AWESOME. Beers are outstanding, the german food authentic and tasty, music is great, and the waitresses are attentive and fast. We went to multiple different beer halls and bars and restaurants and this one was by far the best. Will 100% be returning again in the future! Highly highly recommend. read more

Preparation, presentation, authenticity, best of the best. These superlatives are not enough for this gem of a true Bavarian dining experience. The atmosphere and customer service is amazing. read more

Really good! It took a little bit for our waitress to come but she was also working outside. She was really nice. Our food was delicious!! Would get it again! read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Goulash and red cabbage. Husband also got German potato salad. - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

Authentic German food and great service. Holly recommended the Cream Pita which was AMAZING! The schnitzel & goulash were fab!

Food was phenomenal! I had the German potato salad and Glüwein! It was a true German experience especially with the live German music!

We've been here before and last time had a better experience. Today was just ok. Food was ok, service was ok. Not sure what was off this visit, but not sure if we will visit next time or try another place further down the strip. Outside and inside seating. They have lunch and dinner options. Lots of outside seating. Tables need to be tightened up. read more

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We were in town for Oktoberfest an we need we had to have some authentic German Food before the event started and we also new we had to to eat something heavy. The decided to try Bodensee Restaurant since they seemed to have true German food which is what we wanted. We arrived for lunch around 11:00am-11:30am and had not problem getting a table inside. The also had a tent up for out door seating. Once seated our waitress brought us water and and asked if we wanted anything else to drink. They did have soda but it was all served by the can but when in Helen Georgia for Oktoberfest you drink German Beer so I ordered myself a 32oz stein. We also had to have a Jumbo Pretzel so we ordered one too. Our beers and Pretzel came out pretty and wow this pretzel was amazing. I was so soft and flavorful. I will say the one thing that caught us off was that the beer cheese it came with is served cold but it was still delicious. I could sit there drink beer and eat pretzel after pretzel all day. For my entrée I new I had to get something other then sausage/different Wurst since that's what I had eaten yesterday so I had to go Schnitzel. I ended up going with the Jaeger Schnitzel with Mushroom Cream Sauce and it was amazing. Probably the best I have had. Also since it was lunch time they had a lunch menu so prices were also great. Everyone loved there food from the Sausage to the Spaetzle & Cheese which shocked us by how good it was. You have to come by. Just an heads up when were left it was packed so make sure to come early. read more

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On the hunt for authentic food in a touristy town we stumbled across this place and gave it a try. Overall a good experience but not great. Authentic food- yes, just not well executed. As you walk in the layout is kind of messy. We didn't know where to stand or be greeted. Luckily our server caught the awkwardness and ended up seating us. Our server gave us some good recommendations (which we should have taken. However there were 3 of us and all indecisive so we went with the sampler for 3 plate. A few things we really liked, and the rest we didn't touch. Their menu is extensive so definitely take the time to get some recommendations. In this case, less is more! The pork schnitzel with jager gravy was our absolute favorite! Highly recommend. Smoked pork chops came in second and the garlicwurst was pretty good as well. The red cabbage was delicious, as well as the potatoes but the spaetzle just lacked. Everything else on the sampler plate was super dry. I would definitely stick with one dish. I did appreciate the sampler choices. Many options for bigger parties. They have German beer & wine which was a plus for us! We went with a franziskaner hefeweizen. The beer was warm, maybe it was the mug. Either way warm beer is not my preference. Service was great, we came in on a Saturday night just before 8 PM and it wasn't too busy. Expect to wait if coming in during dinner rush. If you've been overseas don't expect this to live up to those standards. All things considered, this seems to be the most authentic German food in the area. The pork schnitzel would be worth coming back for. With so many touristy restaurants in the area I really wanted to love this place. read more

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My husband and I ate dinner here. The potato pancakes were tough and had to be cut with a knife. The sauerbrauten was also not tender and had to be cut with a knife. The dumpling was heavy and unappetizing. The red cabbage was very good. My husband ordered the baby back ribs but could not eat them since they were not tender. The German potato salad was terrible. It was an expensive meal for the terrible quality of the food. Don't eat there! read more

We understand the food here is the most authentic German fare in Helen, so I'm going to rate it a "3" and try to keep this neutral, but we do have feedback you may want to consider. We went at about 2 pm on a moderately busy Tuesday. The reception area was empty. No one greeted us although several employees passed by. Eventually someone got up from their stool at the bar and came out to seat us. We waited again as other tables were seated and greeted by a server. After asking for ours, still no one came. Before getting even more frustrated, we decided to leave. At least the table required absolutely no clearing. If service and friendliness are important to you, this may not be the experience you want to pay for. read more

Been a couple times and had planned on dinner elsewhere for changed of pace this trip to Helen. Several locals over a few days stated Bodensee as the most authentic and best so we changed plans and glad we did! Consistently outstanding food, wonderful atmosphere, and just worth the cost. Live Oompa music and the two man band was very entertaining to say the least. We had the Schweinshaxe (Pork Shank) for two and enjoyed it thoroughly!!!! If you haven't been, go! If you haven't been in a while go again! read more

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Whenever you're in Helen, you HAVE TO stop here. The service is top notch. The food is the best German food in town and the ambiance is perfectly matched with that of an authentic German restaurant complimented with an incredible musical duo of men who play the accordion and the tuba. They really just tied the whole experience together, as they played music for the guests here at this restaurant. My husband and I were SO happy when they came out to play music and Im talking super big smiles from ear to ear! They really know how to work the crowd! We loved it! Now let's talk about the food. Soon after we sat down, a man stopped by our table as he was leaving and heavily recommended the "Sampler platter for two." He said he had eaten a lot of German food in his lifetime and this was his favorite place to eat and the sampler platter was the best way to eat a little bit of everything good they had to offer. He said, "well, everything here is good, but if you don't know what to get, just go with the sampler platter. You won't regret it!" So, we got it and boy, were we so happy about it. In that moment, I realized how much I like German food. Everything was good, from the spaetzle to the red cabbage to the sauerkraut to the jagerschnitzel to the gypsy sauce to the sausage to every other peice of meat on that platter. We also had the French Onion Soup and that was really, really good and tasty! This was a truly meal I will never forget! read more

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Food was great. I ordered the chef schnitzel with spatzle. The owner is especially friendly and even talked to our kids and gave them treats at the end. read more

The atmosphere is ok but could really use an update. When you get there, it's not clear where to go to enter the restaurant. The staff is somewhat friendly, but there was a family at the hostess stand talking to the hostess. As it turns out, they were leaving and were just standing there chatting while my husband and stood there waiting to be helped. When we were seated, the waitress was pleasant. We ordered, and our food was, for the most part, inedible. The potato pancakes were stodgy and greasy. I ordered the Sauerbraten and the red cabbage with my dinner had a heavy clove flavor that was too overpowering. Weirdly, there was also cranberry sauce, obviously from a can, and I didn't understand the reason for it being on the plate. The potato dumpling was not a dumpling. It was the size of a baseball and about as dense with a very gummy consistency. The roast was well-done but was still very tender and the gravy was good in consistency and flavor. Then there's the live music. The performers were good and seemed to enjoy playing for the diners. It was a little slow at the restaurant so they stayed in our general area for 4 songs. It did make conversation difficult, but I can't fault them for sticking in the more full area of the restaurant. Overall, this place is a pass for me and my husband if we're in Helen again. read more

This place had really good reviews, which brought us in the door. The seating process took a while and was a little awkward. German food was pretty good, along with delicious beer. Pros: - German bier - French onion soup (10/10) - live German music Cons: - seating process - cat roaming (patron's dogs barking) read more

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Great food and great atmosphere! We sat inside, which was cool on a hot day. The strolling musicians totally made the night!!

There were festive staff members dancing outside waiting to welcome potential diners. They caught my attention as we were walking around town trying to decide on where to go for lunch so of course we stopped in for lunch. They had Jager Schnitzel on the menu and it is my favorite German dish so I had to try it. I ordered Erdinger Dunkel to drink while waiting on the food. I loved this dark German beer. The food came out pretty quickly and was so delicious. This was the best schnitzel I've had and I've tried it at many different restaurants. I can't wait to go back to Helen GA to try more of this authentic German cooking. The service was as fabulous as the food. There were several staff members that came to check on our table and one very nice lady suggested a schnapps for my husband that he loved. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the entire dining experience. read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Jaeger Schnitzel - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

Lily was our excellent server. The dinner entrees were quickly served. I had the rouladen. My wife had the sauerbraten. Better tasting food than other German places in town. I also had the blueberry white chocolate cheesecake. Delicious. read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Our entrees. Rouladen for me. - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

We had a good time at Bodensee, tried a variety of appetizers and a couple of German beers. The outdoor seating and live music was a nice touch. The food came out quickly, was hot, and we liked everything we ate. Our waitress was attentive and quickly took an item off our bill when she realized the kitchen never brought it out. read more

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If I could have given more stars I would have. The food, service and atmosphere is wonderful. They seriously go above and beyond. We are from CA and I wish we had a Bodensee there! Thank you for a wonderful dining experience! PS - the French Onion Soup so gooooooood. Probably the best I have ever had. read more

A very mid place, but before you're turned off by this place just know that I don't think there's any TRULY good food in Helen. The whole town is just a bunch of mid, touristy restaurants. I got the garlicwurst and I'm not sure if it's supposed to be salty but it was very salty. In the moment I didn't process how salty it was but in hindsight it was super salty. It tasted fine, but when I look at photos I just feel like it was a bit of an underwhelming meal that looks unappetizing. My friends got the porkchop but they weren't into it. Would I go again? Probably not; but do I feel like I went to the wrong restaurant? Not really - it's just Helen has mid food ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Homemade Garlic Wurst - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

It has food, lots of food with different options for food. When you eat here you can get food and drink.

Food was fresh & authentic! The atmosphere was mediocre, but the food was great & authentic. We did had to send one entree back because it was not warm enough. The food was flavorful & the variety of dishes was awesome. Overall, we enjoyed everything and would definitely come back if ever in the Helen area. read more

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